How Mania Works
Mania can present with a wide range of symptoms, including significant changes to the mood and personality. At its essence, mania is a mood disturbance that produces an extraordinarily energized, excited, euphoric countenance and a feeling that anything is possible. These episodes can last for as long as a week or more. And while it does not sound like a true detriment, mania is indeed a serious and disruptive mental health condition. For instance, sufferers from mania will likely be unable to concentrate on any one thing and will have a very difficult time sleeping. In fact, it may be so severe as to require hospitalization.
Mania may also include less severe symptoms and may even present as inflated self-esteem (feeling invincible, confident, etc.), an increase in activity (trying to achieve several things at once), or even an increase in ideas.
You may also notice an increase in talking (volume and pattern), racing thoughts, hypersexuality, hyper-religiosity, or excessive appetite.
However, you should be wary, as mania could also elevate and include a wide range of dangerous manifestations, including:
- Inappropriate or risky behavior – this can include irritability or aggression, as well as taking risks or attempting things the sufferer may normally never undertake.
- Hallucinations and delusion – Seeing or believing things that are not actually occurring
- Paranoia – The sufferer may feel unable to trust anyone else and react accordingly, even in the extreme.
As you can see by these symptoms, mania is a serious condition that can produce serious repercussions in social, emotional, and work relationships. For instance, mania can make it tough to maintain a job or relationships, and it can also lead to substance abuse or reckless activity (including sexually).
Mania can be fostered by several factors, including genetics – some people are more pre-disposed to suffer from mania, including people whose parents or siblings have the condition.
Underlying medical conditions or psychiatric illness, such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia may also trigger mania. People who suffer from hypothyroidism may also suffer from manic episodes.
Environmental changes may even trigger mania, as well as emotional trauma. And brain injuries can also play a significant role in the onset of mania in people who had no symptoms prior to injury.
